Rockets report: Parsons draws key assignment vs. Durant

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Chandler Parsons knows he will have his hands full with the NBA’s second leading scorer this season. ( Michael Paulsen / Houston Chronicle )

OKLAHOMA CITY — As burdensome as his designation as the guy who has to defend the opponent’s best scorer might seem, Chandler Parsons took it as a point of pride, even with the unenviable duty of defending Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant.

This has been his job since he became a starter, specifically to match up with Durant early in Parsons’ rookie season. Playing next to the Rockets’ leading scorers, Kevin Martin last season and now James Harden, Parsons has taken on the toughest perimeter matchups so they won’t have to.

“I think it’s kind of been the role I tried to establish early is guard the best player every night, try to make it difficult for him,” Parsons said. “That’s not a bad thing to be known for.”

That can lead to some tough nights, particularly against Durant, the NBA’s three-time scoring champion and second-leading scorer this season.

“He’s a great player. He’s one of the best in the world. My job is to try to make him not be as efficient, make him work for what he is going to get. He might have 30 or 35 points. I want him to really work for it, be physical for him,” Parsons said.

In the regular season, Durant averaged 26 points on 44.8 percent shooting against the Rockets, but when Parsons matched up with him, Durant shot just 37.9 percent, 58.3 percent in every other matchup.

Durant scored 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting in Sunday’s win.

“He’s going to hit some crazy shots,” Parsons said. “You can’t get down and you can’t hang your head. It’s just the special kind of player he is, but try not to let him hit a lot of those.

Garcia has his own reunion

As much as has been made of the reunion of James Harden with his former team, Rockets backup Francisco Garcia and Thunder sixth man Kevin Martin returned to the playoffs for the first time since they were Kings teammates.

“Oh man, that’s my guy,” Garcia said before the game. “Tonight, he ain’t going to be my guy, though. We just have to go out there and grind.”

Beverley faces off with Fisher again

When Rockets guard Patrick Beverley was drafted by the Lakers in 2009, Derek Fisher was the veteran point guard still producing late in his career.

Now that Beverley has made it to the NBA and to the playoffs, Fisher is still the veteran point guard producing late in his career.

Beverley never made it to camp with the Lakers that year. He was dealt to the Heat and waived late in training camp.

After several seasons overseas, he signed with the Rockets this season, with the postseason matchup offering his first chance to go against Fisher, Oklahoma City’s 38-year-old reserve.

“He’s still getting it done,” the 24-year-old Beverley said. “He’s a professional, one of the top-tier professionals in the NBA. In the playoffs, he plays great. I have to come in focused and focus on detail.”

Starting small, thinking big

The Rockets opened their win over Oklahoma City on Feb. 20 with a small lineup because they had to.

With Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris traded, they started Carlos Delfino on Serge Ibaka at power forward.

They plan to use the small lineup again, though with Delfino off the bench.

This time, they will have to do it whether they want to or not because the Thunder often go with a small lineup by moving Kevin Durant to the power forward next to Ibaka or Nick Collison.

“They’re going to do it,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “We’ll get into our small lineup eventually, you can be sure of that.”